Minnesota’s first comprehensive oral health plan includes new information that while tooth decay is nearly 100 percent preventable, it is still one of Minnesota’s most common chronic childhood diseases, with 55 percent of third graders surveyed in 2010 experiencing tooth decay. Continue Reading

You’re right Gene. Taxpayers should take full responsibility for other people’s kids. Maybe we should keep them at school 24/7 until they are 18 and their parents are ready to come and get them. Oh wait…what about college expenses? Well maybe by the time they’re 24 their mom and dad will be ready to take on the role of responsible parents.

When was the last time you went to the dentist? It’s not a cheap visit. Just to have your teeth cleaned can run you eighty bucks. And having fillings and other work done runs you even more. Add the fact that some parents themselves are not doing dental care themselves because they were not taught the importance of it when they were younger, it all adds up to dental neglect.

Give us any proof that says that this is true. I doubt that there is any. Just more false information given to people and they believe it. This is just like saying that if you drink milk the whole time your baby with grow up and be the greatest athlete in history.

A high percentage of tooth decay can be prevented by brushing and flossing. Drinking large quantities of soda pop over a long period of time eats away the enamel on your teeth. Parental supervision is the key.

I disagree with your statement. I am allergic to milk and drink pop everyday since I was probably 6 or 7. I have had one cavity in my life and that was when I was 37. My dentist says that my teeth are very healthy.
Brushing and flossing does help I don’t disagree. A lot of these problems start at home with parents being too lazy to make sure that their kids do brush their teeth.

I read this article and nowhere did I see mention of these children coming from low income families. There are judgements being made without any facts being present. Even a middle income family would have problems meeting the dental expenses given the economy today.

Nemain, your post on February 26 at 8:27 a.m. chastises people for assuming these are low income families and asserting that even a middle income family would have trouble paying these expenses. Your current post provides the cost of a dental cleaning and again directs attention to the expense. Your two posts read in conjunction lead me to the conclusion that you believe that the government should pay for child related costs because they are expensive. No child should go hungry and no child should be denied appropriate medical/dental care. However, your logic of providing assistance based on the assertion that something is expensive is one of the factors that have led to the development of a social welfare system that no longer simply helps those in need, but has expanded to eliminate much of the adverse consequences of making poor choices. By eliminating any adverse consequences of poor decision making the government facilities and perpetuates those poor decisions. Having children is generally a voluntary act. Even “unplanned” pregnancies are generally voluntary acts given the availability of inexpensive and effective birth control. The decision to have a child should carry with it the responsibility to care for that child. The continued focus on treating the symptoms of poor decision making does nothing to address the underlying problem that it is a poor decision to have children when you do not have an economically stable base that will allow you to support those children. You don’t have to be rich to have kids, but it is your responsibility to make sure that you can provide for them, not the government’s responsibility.